At least 8,000 people died in Mariupol due to war between March 2022 and February 2023 - HRW

The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has published new data on the Russian destruction of the city of Mariupol in the Donetsk region.

The organization released the report, which is based on 240 interviews with mostly displaced people from Mariupol, conducted by HRW and the Ukrainian human rights organization Truth Hounds, as well as an analysis of more than 850 photo and video materials, documents and dozens of satellite images that recorded by HRW and SITU Research. The multimedia materials include 3D reconstructions of seven buildings damaged in the apparently illegal attacks, graphic images of damaged schools and hospitals, and analysis of grave sites to estimate the death toll.
Analysis of satellite images, photos and videos of the main city cemeteries showed that between March 2022 and February 2023, more than 10,000 people were buried in Mariupol. Comparing the increase in burials to the city's normal death rate, researchers estimate that at least 8,000 people died during the fighting or war-related circumstances, although it remains unclear how many of them were civilians.

HRW notes that the total number of dead could be much higher: some graves contained multiple bodies, while the remains of others were most likely buried under the rubble. Some may remain in makeshift graves, while others may have died later from war-related circumstances.
"Despite the difficulties of investigating war crimes in territories rendered inaccessible by Russian occupation, we and our partners have spent almost two years uncovering the truth about the terrible crimes committed by Russian forces in Mariupol. This investigation aims to ensure that these crimes are never forgotten and that the perpetrators are brought to justice," said Roman Avramenko, CEO of Truth Hounds.
The researchers documented in detail 14 attacks that damaged or destroyed 18 buildings and killed and wounded civilians. Among them were the shelling of two hospitals, the City Drama Theater that provided shelter to the civilian population, food warehouses, aid distribution points, supermarkets and residential buildings that served as civilian shelters. Human Rights Watch and Truth Hounds found no evidence of a Ukrainian military presence at or near these shelling sites, or only a small military presence, making this shelling clearly illegal.

The report identified 17 units of Russian forces that operated in Mariupol in March and April 2022, at the height of hostilities.
The researchers also identified 10 persons who, within the framework of command responsibility, could be criminally responsible for war crimes related to illegal shelling and possible arbitrary blocking of humanitarian aid and evacuation. It is possible that they committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity by forcibly transferring the residents of Mariupol to Russia and the territory under Russian occupation.
"The devastation of Mariupol by Russian troops is one of the worst aspects of their invasion of Ukraine. International bodies and governments committed to justice should focus on investigating the actions of senior Russian officials who appear to be linked to the oversight of war crimes committed in this once vibrant city," said Ida Sawyer, head of crises and conflicts at HRW. .
HRW also notes that since the occupation of the city, the Russian authorities have been building new high-rise residential buildings as part of the declared plan for the reconstruction and redevelopment of Mariupol - the occupying authorities must clear the ruins and demolish dangerous buildings. However, in the absence of independent investigators, the Russian government is destroying physical evidence at hundreds of potential crime scenes.
The occupying forces are also destroying signs of Ukrainian identity, especially by introducing a Russian school curriculum and renaming streets, the organization adds.

Human Rights Watch sent a summary of the report's findings and a list of questions to the Russian government on December 4, 2023, but had not received a response by February 1.
Since February 24, 2022, the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has been documenting violations of human rights and the rules of war in Ukraine. HRW's reports describe torture, executions, rape, beatings and other forms of violence, looting, shelling of evacuation routes, bombing and rocket attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets, and the use of prohibited ammunition.
Mariupol was captured by Russian troops in May 2022 after almost three months of fierce fighting. During that time, a significant part of the buildings and other facilities in the city was destroyed. The exact number of dead is unknown, estimates vary from a few thousand to several tens of thousands.

Ukraine and international human rights organizations accuse Russia of numerous war crimes committed in Mariupol. Among them was the shelling of the maternity hospital and the attack on the City Drama Theater, where people were hiding. The Russian Ministry of Defense calls these accusations false.